bandy leg
1
8.8
- noun
- Archaic
:
pierna arqueada
- The creature sprang from the sill, landing on broad, splaytoed feet and bandy legs of wonderful elasticity.
Examples
-
He shared his father's terse, powerful genetic code: thick body, heavy arms, bandy legs, mastiff's jaw.
Fiction book (1996) -
He yanked his robe up to his waist and raced on naked bandy legs to the stone rostrum at the east of the forum.
Fiction book (2000) -
The athlete struggled to maintain his balance due to his bandy legs.
-
Children often teased him for having bandy legs that made him run awkwardly.
-
His bandy legs were a result of a rare condition that affected his growth.
Synonyms
1
7.2
A leg that curves outward at the knee so the knees stay apart when standing with feet together
Legs that curve outward at the knees, leaving a space between the lower legs
A leg that bends outward below the knee so the knees are far apart
Legs that curve outward below the knee so the knees stay apart when the feet are together
The lower leg bows outward below the knee
How Bowed
- Archaic
1
8.8
1
4.2
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly built from the adjective 'bandy' (knees set wide apart) modifying 'leg', so a learner who knows both words can infer a leg bowed outward at the knee. This adjective+noun composition is straightforward and parallels common cross-linguistic descriptions of bowed legs, making the expression immediately comprehensible.
Etymology
Bandy leg may come from an old word meaning 'to bend', creating the image of a bandy (bent) leg that curves outward like a bow. So, today it means 'a leg that curves outward'.